


what's worth it

by pac



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 15:39:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,778
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13767240
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pac/pseuds/pac
Summary: Kasperi puts up with having feelings, but only for William.





	what's worth it

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Vidriana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vidriana/gifts).



> Dear Vidriana,
> 
> Have this pure fluff, made possible by William’s post-practice interview on February 13, 2018. It’s not exactly the angst you wanted regarding Kappy’s roller coaster with the Leafs and Marlies but your prompts prompted my ideas for this fic, if that makes sense. 
> 
> Love, 
> 
> Me

Kasperi doesn’t really like feeling things like butterflies. Him feeling so much as warm and fuzzy inside is almost always involuntary; it’s just not his style, okay. Still, hearing his boyfriend talk about him during the post-practice interview makes something proud and delighted bloom in his chest, and it won’t stop no matter how much he tries to push it down. It doesn’t help that William looks way too good, and he’ll never get used to it even though dealing with that’s an everyday ordeal. 

 

He’s just answering the questions, trying to stay as monotone as he can even when Kasperi’s brought up, but it’s broken up by inconcealable flashes of emotion. 

 

“-but I’m happy that he’s uh, he’s been playing well and he’s uh, planning on staying,” Willy finishes with another tiny smile that brings out the beautiful definition of the apples of his cheeks. Kasperi briefly thinks it’s silly to be so affected by it. William could say it about any of his former Marlies teammates and most of the current Leafs could extend the same sentiment about Kasperi. It’s William, though, and just like most things William does and says, it simply means more to him. 

 

Kasperi’s still trying to shove down the well of feelings when Willy finishes up and finally joins him to walk to the parking garage. He’s just barely suppressing a stupid smile the whole way, and still when they finally pause for a moment at the car to unlock it. 

 

“What?” Willy asks, eyebrows already lifted when Kappy looks up. He shrugs his shoulders and ducks his head to get in the passenger seat. Willy gives him another look when he gets in, but he knows Kasperi well enough to let it go and start the car. 

 

The drive home is short, filled with the hum of the radio and William’s fingers tapping the steering wheel in tune. Kasperi doesn’t focus on the motion like he usually would. He can’t stop thinking about William’s words, can’t stop feeling the vibration of  _ pure love _ through his chest. 

 

He’s known Willy is proud of him, whether he’s in the AHL or the NHL, he’s always known. It’s not the same as the way his friends and family are proud, or even the guys on the Marlies who’ve been there for all the literal ups-and-downs. It doesn’t feel the same, anyway, it feels more. 

 

William was proud even before they got together, when Kappy was full of resentment, too young and dumb to know how to handle it any better. He was there to pick up the pieces when Kappy broke down, let it get to him. William always had reassurances for him, always knew exactly what to say to him to make him feel better whether he was angry or sad about it. It’s been a long road since he was traded to the Maple Leafs, it’s barely been three years but it’s felt like a decade of struggle and hard work. 

 

Next thing he knows, they’re home. He looks over to William and finds himself hoping he really does get a full decade in Toronto, more specifically with Willy. 

“What’re you thinking about?” William asks more pointedly as they get out. He’s always been the more observant one; sometimes it feels like Willy’s reading his mind, and only questions like those put that idea to rest. 

 

“You,” Kappy replies honestly, grabbing both of their bags from the trunk before Willy can and leading the way to the elevator. 

 

“What about me?” Willy questions from slightly behind him, and if Kappy wanted to give in and look back at him, he’s sure he’d find a simultaneously cocky and expectant grin. Kasperi holds off, biting his lip to hide a smile as he presses the ‘up’ button, only looking back when Willy starts to poke his sides. 

 

“A lot about you,” is all he gives, smirking at the roll of William’s pretty blues while he follows him into the elevator. 

 

“Probably about how cute I am, how nice my hair is…” William’s goading him but he’s well aware that Kappy’s weakness is literally any and every one of his features. 

 

He shrugs again, watching the slow clench of Willy’s jaw that spells out his minor annoyance. He gets annoyed with Kappy often, it’s adorable. Kappy knows how much William likes attention, compliments, praise of any sort; it’s kind of a thing for him. He likes it most of all from Kasperi, and Kasperi definitely does not mind having that kind of upperhand. His only goal here is to avoid starting something in the elevator that they shouldn’t finish in the elevator, just as he needed to avoid starting it in the halls of Mattamy AC and in the parking garage. 

 

The petulant huff he gets when he stays silent just makes him want to kiss Willy more, filling him with a fondness he’s only ever had for William, another something special. He thinks that he could maybe stand this warm, full, overwhelmingly adoring feeling in his chest if it’s William that keeps giving it to him. 

 

Kasperi settles a hand on the small of William’s back as they start down the hall to their apartment door, letting himself watch his boyfriend’s profile when he stops at it and unlocks the door. There’s still a glint of curiosity in Willy’s eyes when he motions for Kasperi to go in first, like he’s still trying to figure out what he’s thinking. 

 

He drops their bags in the familiar entryway, exactly where their bags end up after each practice, whether on the same team or not. This apartment always makes him feel most comfortable, it’s where the majority of their friendship and love has unfolded. He remembers there was a time that he was worried Willy would get another roommate, someone whose paycheck wasn’t always in limbo too. He had quite the internal crisis around that time, when the pay difference of over ten times seemed like the most important part. It took a stupid blow up on Kappy’s part for William to even see it was taking its toll on him, but he also talked him down from the entire mountain of frustration he’d been hoarding over it. It was one of the first times he realized how deep his feelings ran for Willy, actually. 

 

Kappy pivots on his heel at the click of the door lock. Willy shrugs off his jacket, and he does the same, drops it on the row of hooks at the same time Willy does. 

 

“What?” William asks again when Kappy meets his eyes but doesn’t say anything, his tone isn’t necessarily a whine but it’s close enough that it’s endearing. 

 

Kasperi smiles, bright and genuine, because oh man, does he love William. He loves the way he expresses his every emotion without shame, the way he still only ever confides in Kappy when he’s angry or sad. 

 

“You’re beautiful,” he confesses, and with a couple long strides he’s backed Willy up against a wall. The way Willy instinctively presses up against him and tilts his chin up like he’s begging for a kiss will never get old. 

 

“That’s what all this is about? You’re being all weird because I’m beautiful?” William chuckles like he doesn’t buy it. 

 

“Mhm,” Kappy mumbles just before he drops his head to fit his lips against the hinge of William’s jaw, sucking at his skin gently for a second, “You’re beautiful, and I love you.” 

 

“All because I talked about you in post-practice?” William lets his head fall back against the wall with a thunk when Kappy nips just below his jaw, but he still sounds like he’s not quite catching on. 

 

“No,” Kappy tsks, one hand curling around the back of Willy’s neck firmly, the other settled just above the top of his jeans underneath his shirt, “I already knew all that. You’ve always been proud of me, you’re always good to me like that. I just love you- I love looking at you, I love living with you, and playing with you.” 

 

Kasperi kisses a couple centimeters down Willy’s neck and back up, nipping at his jaw again in the way he knows makes William’s knees go weak, then lapping over it with the very tip of his tongue. He continues in a whisper, “I love that you’re mine and I’m yours.” 

 

Willy snakes his arms over his shoulders now, hanging on and near-pliant already. He sounds just as gratified as Kappy’s aiming for when he replies, “Someone’s in the Valentine’s mood…” 

 

“Only for and because of you,” is his simple answer, kissing the very corner of William’s mouth. He gets a small grunt from Willy when he doesn’t immediately follow it up by kissing him, but William’s eyes have slipped closed and he looks too good for Kappy to waste the moment by closing his own. He wants to stare forever, not that he hasn’t already memorized his sharp features and the splay of William’s eyelashes, but because he doesn’t think he’ll ever get enough of it. 

 

William huffs again, biting on the inside of his bottom lip and Kasperi brings both hands to frame his face. He gives in and kisses him, gets a satisfied sigh and greedy hands on his back keeping him close. 

 

He kisses William and hopes the too-full feeling in his chest translates through it, through the brush of his thumbs over William’s cheekbones. He kisses William until he’s lax against the wall, happy and sated, and thinks  _ yeah, this is the kind of love Valentine’s Day is all about _ . 

 

He’s already picturing the way Willy’s face would light up if he was woken with breakfast in bed and a ridiculous amount of flowers. Kasperi never saw the appeal of flowers himself, but he knows William likes the array of colours and the way they smell because he stops at every flower stand they see in the summertime. Kappy knows he’d feel silly even buying the amount of flowers William deserves on Valentine’s Day much less presenting them to him, but he also knows it would be appreciated, worth it. 

 

He pulls back from the kiss only when both of their mouths are bright and slick, trails soft pecks back down William’s neck. They probably have things to do today, but right now nothing feels more important than being this close to William. So, he presses his nose into the crook of William’s neck to get the giggle he always gives when he’s tickled there. It’s like music to Kasperi’s ears, and he thinks he’ll probably buy a ring for Willy long before next Valentine’s Day. 


End file.
